Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE)

Our fully-funded PhD programme offers projects aligned with the grand challenges in environmental research: securing ecosystem services and environmental resources; predicting and mitigating impacts of climate change; understanding the dynamics of biodiversity; and mechanisms of evolutionary change.

  • Funding: The studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years in the first instance, and students must complete their PhD in four years.
  • Academic year: 2025/26
  • Open to: EU and UK (home) students
  • Qualification level: Postgraduate research
  • Number available: 7

The aim is to produce multi-skilled researchers equipped to tackle cutting edge environmental science of global significance, embedded within a unique, supportive training environment. At York, the NERC Partnership brings together researchers from the Departments of BiologyEnvironment and GeographyArchaeology and Chemistry. All projects are co-supervised, most of them with supervisors in different institutions, in order to foster innovative science, collegiality, and breadth of experience.

Our fully-funded PhD programme in Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE) offers projects aligned with the grand challenges in environmental research: securing ecosystem services and environmental resources; predicting and mitigating impacts of climate change; understanding the dynamics of biodiversity; and mechanisms of evolutionary change. There are projects where the lead supervisor is based in York's Department of Environment and Geography. In addition there are projects also available in the departments of Archaeology, Biology and Chemistry.

Eligibility

Open to EU and UK (home) students.

Open to students in the following departments: Department of Archaeology, Department of Biology, Department of Chemistry and Department of Environment and Geography.

The studentships are available to UK and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements. Students from EU countries who do not meet the residency requirements may still be eligible for a fees-only award. Further information about eligibility for Research Council UK funding.

Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply.  The interdisciplinary nature of this programme means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any relevant subject that provides the necessary skills, knowledge and experience for the DTP, including environmental, biological, chemical, mathematical, physical and social sciences.

How to apply

Please try to identify a research project that suits you.  This is to ensure a proper match between your research interests and your prospective supervisors. If you are attracted by more than one project in ACCE, rather than applying to several, we would encourage informal discussions with different project supervisors to help you decide which is the most appropriate project, to maximize your chances of obtaining a studentship. Contact details for academic staff can be found on each project description.

 You can apply here. It is very important that you write the title of the project you are applying to and the names of the project supervisors.